Jeff Mills Coastal Vacations Club Blog

Camden is one of London’s hidden gems. Camden’s borough goes North from the central areas of Covent Garden and Holborn through Euston and Kings Cross into the trendy Camden Town quarter to the verdant and leafy Hampstead quarter.
Being generally a wealthy quarter there are many pubs and restaurants that allow your pooch to join you for a rest.
It is situated on the old site of the manor of Cantelowes. The Manor house was acquired through marriage in the 1700s by Sir Charles Pratt a politician and radical lawyer who later became the 1st Earl of Camden. Sir Charles gave leases for 1400 houses to be built in Camden in 1791.
In the early nineteenth century Regent’s Canal was built on the land, running through the northern edge of Camden Town. Regent’s canal is very popular with cyclists and dog walkers. Summer boat trips are popular. Until the 50s the canal barges were drawn by horses and the towropes etched into the handrails over the years and are still visible. There are also the ramps on the canal bank, not for boats, but to aid the horses out of the canal. London’s largest non war explosion was at Macclesfield Bridge when a barge blew up in 1874. For most of Camden’s history it was not a fashionable area.
Camden Lock is a manually-operated working canal lock. Sited close to it are numerous weekend street markets. These are famous and extremely popular, the many markets include Buck Street, Camden canal and Stables market as well as an indoor market – the Electric Ballroom. The markets sell all types of goods, including, lifestyle, fashion, books, junk, antiques and more bizarre items.
During the last couple of decades artistic and entertainment companies have moved into the area. Due to the increased wealth in the borough restaurants and pubs have gone from strength to strength. One of the first major venues was the Roundhouse, originally a locomotive train engine house constructed in 1850s around 1850, it evolved through a number of uses until it was transformed into a music venue in the 60s. With a recent re-launch in 2006.
It has a lot of parks for great dog walking, Regents Park, Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill, Kenwood Park and the vast Hampstead Heath to list the well known ones, so numerous London dog walkers are based here such as Camden Dog Walking.
The Borough of Camden was formed in the 1965  by amalgamating the London boroughs of Hampstead, St Pancreas and Holborn.
Camden has a wide ethnic mix and whilst generally affluent, there are some poorer areas.
Many  well known people lived in Camden, many with an artistic background,  that include the writers Charles Dickens, John Keats and Aldous Huxley, all types of politician from the politicians Benjamin Disraeli, Karl Marx, Frederick Engels and John Maynard Keynes. There is also Henry Moore the artist and many of modern rock stars and actors.

Reputedly the oldest public houses in London is  The World’s End  It was also known as “The Mother Red Cap” and shortened to “The Red Cap”, it is located near Camden Town tube station on Camden Road. Other places worth a visit is KOKO previously known as ‘The Camden Palace’ a major rock and dance venue. It was renowned as the location of the famous Goon Show. The Electric Ballroom, is another good live music venue.
Families and dog owners will love Camden Square a short distance from Camden Town station with a playground and dog walking area.
An unusual building is Sainsbury’s supermarket and was designed by Nicholas Grimshaw.
Other places worth a visit include the British Museum, British Library, St Pancreas railway terminal building, Jewish Museum, Highgate Cemetery, the London Zoo, Regents Park, St Michaels Church, St Pancreas Old Church.
 Biased

Filed under: Uncategorized